Iridescent
by Ichigo1010
Summary: Years after a war that had encompassed the entire earth and only months after the death of the love of her life, Mikan finds out that she has to do it all over again, right from the point where it all began. "Welcome to the Academy." Time-travel. R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Because time cut short is the cruelest thing of all... and she was going to stop it from happening again. No matter what. Time-travel R&R

**Iridescent  
><strong>_The property of certain surfaces to_ _change color as the angle or view of illumination changes_**  
><strong>

**Prologue  
><strong>

The day that he died, Mikan broke.

His death had not been sudden, but rather cruelly drawn out as the fourth Alice form slowly destroyed his already suffering body from the inside out because he used it too much - _she told him not to use it too much!_ - during the war and as an agent. Because he never could simply sit back and watch now could he?

No. He was Natsume Hyuuga. He was a man of action and well known for his lack of patience and Alice of fire.

The Black Cat did not sit back and watch.

So he paid for it with his life, and Mikan died with him.

_Stupid, wonderful, arrogant fool._

She didn't try to push through the pain and move on and let time dull - not heal, because time, despite common belief, cannot heal all things - the hurricane of emotions that seemed to be _crushing her_. Because it wouldn't. She didn't try to act like it was okay. Because it was not. She didn't try to smile, even though that's what everyone had expected her to do. Because she simply could not do it.

Because the moment that his heart stop beating, Mikan's stopped along with it.

She simply sank to her knees, and the cheerful spark that had twenty-one years lit hazel eyes died.

She didn't talk to her friends anymore.

Mikan cut herself off.

No amount of prying or pleading or threats or tears or attempts at persuasion could get Mikan to withdraw from the shell - her apartment as well - that she had receded into.

Because you see, during the time that Mikan watched him slowly deteriorate, she began to fray. But he was still there, the key thread supporting her, and so she held together despite all of the tugging and pulling that was trying to rip her apart.

Then he disappeared.

She had loved him _too_ much, they all realized that day, to survive without him and despite all she had conquered and survived and been through (together, they were together through it all), losing him - her light, her reason, her smile - was the single thread that pulled the tapestry that was Mikan Sakura apart.

She loved him too much. No one had realized she loved him like she did. Mikan didn't even think she had realized it.

...she always _had_ been slow.

After many, many months and hundreds of failed attempts, her friends stopped trying to talk to her, and Mikan sat alone in her apartment withering away as she drowned in her grief; alone until one day, in the middle of the summer, there was a knock on her front door.

Blank hazel eyes blinked - once, twice - and then very slowly she stood and she walked to the front door where thin fingers turned the handle slowly and opened it.

A person she had never seen before stood there.

Blank hazel eyes blinked again.

"Mikan Sakura," a soft, lilting voice said, stating fact rather than questioning.

She had the most beautiful blue eyes the young woman had ever seen... and the oddest white hair.

"Yes," Mikan confirmed in a rough voice. "What do you want from me?"

The mysterious woman tilted her head, long waves of snow and ice shifting with the motion, and pink lips lifted into a soft upward curve.

"I don't want anything," she told Mikan in that same beautiful voice. "My name is Somiko, and I have a gift for you."

Mikan looked down to see her offering a large blue stone the same shade as her eyes: the brightest, most beautiful blue she had ever seen (her name fit, Mikan thought then; _Somiko_; beautiful blue child) and without thinking, she reached out slowly to take it from her open palm.

"What is this?"

The same little smile was Somiko's only response.

"Please... what is this?" Mikan asked again, desperation washing over her without explanation.

Somiko's smile turned sad then and she reached out to touch Mikan's cheek gently and for some reason the brunet felt tears come to her eyes.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

"Someone that wishes happiness for you," the woman said, "I'm giving you a second chance, Mikan Sakura. You have lived a hard life, done so much good, and yet lost the one who meant the most to you and live in misery. It is not right, and I will not allow it."

"_Who are you?_"

The stone Mikan held began to glow.

Somiko didn't answer her question again, instead telling her information in a rushed voice as light began to dance around the brunets feet.

"This is something I will never be able to do again. This is a unique gift that you alone deserve and you can _change_ things for the better. You can be happy, you can have him again. But it will not be easy and you must not change things without thinking it through, Mikan! You are going to leave now, and I wish you good luck. Maybe someday, we will meet one another under different circumstances, but for now-" a swift kiss was pressed to each of Mikan's cheeks and she stared in confusion because she still didn't know this person and the stone was throwing out _light_ and _win__d_ and _what'shappeningtome?_ "-be strong and once more: good luck!"

Mikan opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but before she could get out more than a panicked "wha-?" she was consumed by white light and cold fire and the sensation of falling, falling, falling...

.

.

.

"Oi!" a rough voice growled out.

A calloused pair of hands shook her shoulders.

Mikan blinked very slowly, and came to the quick realization that, oh, her head hurt very badly and she was on the floor, which was cold, and-

"Stupid girl, can you hear me?" the same irritated voice snapped again, a hint of worry lacing the harsh words, and she finally began to take in more of her surroundings and looked up to the voice that belonged to the person hovering over her.

Red.

Beautiful, bloody, horribly wonderful red.

A color of eyes that she had never thought she would see again.

_'Natsume...'_

Mikan passed out.

-O-o-O-

_And so a new cloth began to be woven, this time with a few strings of white amidst the black, and a single strand of crimson._

**Chapter End**

_Somiko_:_ beautiful blue child; __made up of three characters; _so_ - blue, _mi_ - beauty, _ko_ - child_

**A/N:** Something tells me that only a few are going to be able to understand the significance of the title immediately... Ah well, let me know if you _do_ understand. I'm curious.

So, what do you guys think? Inspiration for this hit me randomly. As in at 4 in the morning.

Time travel is not a road much traveled in the Gakuen Alice fandom (I only know of one) and so I thought I would take a whack at it with a twist.

Let me know what you all thought! Any criticisms, comments, questions, flames, or whatever it is that you want to review about is welcome and much wanted.

**Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Because time cut short is the cruelest thing of all... and she was going to stop it from happening again. No matter what. Time-travel R&R

**Iridescent  
><strong>_The property of certain surfaces to_ _change color as the angle or view of illumination changes_

**Chapter 1**

_"Did you ever think it was fate? Us, I mean."_

_"Hn. I don't believe in fate."_

_"Oh..."_

_"It was inevitable."_

_She smiled.  
><em>

-O-

He would never admit it aloud, but Natsume Hyuuga was actually worried.

It had been so sudden. One moment she was standing there, begging him to go with her to Central Town because otherwise she wouldn't be allowed to take the trip, voice loud as ever and her usual fire in her eyes, and the next she just stopped mid-word and went silent and the fire died as her eyes went blank and glassy.

She dropped to the floor in a boneless heap, and didn't move.

Don't get him wrong, it wasn't that he cared, because honestly? He didn't. Call him heartless, call him cruel, but thus far, the girl had caused nothing but problems and had been an annoyance to him. He didn't hate her anymore after the dodge ball game, but he definitely didn't like her.

Even so, not even Natsume Hyuuga would ignore someone who collapsed for no reason. Even _if_ she was a polka-dot panty wearing annoyance with pigtails.

So when she hit the ground, he leapt to his feet.

It was mostly a blur after that.

He had shoved Youichi into Ruka's arms and told him to back away as he ran to the fallen girl and rolled her over. Her eyes were open, but unfocused and she didn't respond when he initially called out to her.

It was disturbing.

He checked her pulse and her heart was racing.

People had started to crowd around and somewhere in the back of his mind he noticed Imai approaching as well as Jinno and the obnoxious Narumi.

He tried calling to her again.

Nothing.

A burst of frustration ran through him and this time he _shouted_.

"Listen to me!"

Still. That horrible blankness.

"Oi!" He shook her by the shoulders, trying to get a reaction.

And then she blinked. Very, very slowly her eyes closed and then opened, looking dazed and still unfocused but _alive_ and Natsume nearly sighed in relief. Nearly.

"Stupid girl, can you hear me?"

That slow hazel gaze centered on him then and stared him straight in the eyes.

He stiffened and she simply looked at him before working to mouth something.

_"N...n...t'sme_."

He didn't get the chance to ponder over the action because next her eyes rolled back and her lids slid shut and someone was grabbing the back of his jacket and pulling him back, out of the way while the teachers and a hovering Imai ordered everyone to stay back while they took her to the hospital wing.

How many times had he wished that she would just shut up and stay that way?

Natsume never thought that the girl being silent would bother him.

But it did.

-O-o-O-

This time, she woke up to a white ceiling.

When she sat up a scratchy white blanket fell from her shoulders and Mikan fingered it as she glanced around the room.

"This... is Gakuen Alice," she murmured in disbelief.

And her disbelief was completely justified. After all... the academy had been destroyed for years.

There was nothing left but a wasteland of dirt and ruins and scorched ground as the result of the massive explosion that leveled the place.

But then...

Natsume had been there when she woke up the first time.

She remembered. He was looking down at her with a scowl, and his eyes - red, red, red just like in her memory - were locked on her and just a little bit concerned. Not that he would want anyone to know, that is.

_'How...?'_

A blink as something hard fell to the tiled floor with a soft clatter. Mikan looked down to see _the_ Alice stone there: smaller and faded in color, but still very beautiful.

There was no more power left in it.

Somiko.

This... this was her doing. What had she said before the light obscured her vision and she woke up here? That she could... change things?

Now, Mikan knew that the powers of an Alice could do many things, but she had never heard of the ability to send a soul back in time. And if it were real, it would have been abused many times over already.

Then again, many thought nullification and stealing to be a myth. Then she and her mother and father appeared.

-o-

_"This is something I will never be able to do again."_

-o-

Or maybe it hadn't been abused because it _couldn't_ be.

Scratchy white covers went flying as she hopped lightly out of bed and picked up the dead Alice stone on the floor.

She slipped it in her skirt pocket and looked to the open door to the hospital room she was currently in. No one was with her and she could not hear anyone in the hallways as well.

It was time to go.

Mikan had some investigating to do... because if this was real... If Mikan was in the past, as a child...the ESP was still in control. Persona was still a puppet. The AAO had not yet made its move. Natsume was really alive... and the academy was whole, her mother still breathing, and the war not yet begun...

Well.

That was just something that Mikan would take advantage of, now wasn't it?

For the first time since Natsume died, the spark was re-lit in hazel eyes.

She stuck a hand in her pocket, fingers sliding across the smooth, cool surface of the stone... and as she played with the dulled little rock... Mikan realized she couldn't remember what Somiko looked like anymore.

-O-o-O-

Her movements were swift and they were silent, a skill that Mikan had been forced to pick up over the years of battle and required stealth. They didn't even notice when she slipped out the door.

Mikan walked briskly, pigtails swinging and skirt fluttering as a nurse finally noticed that she was absent from her room and a frantic search for her began.

She was ten again if her guess what correct. So, so young, but with adequate time to change what was needed.

Now what day was it?

She looked to a stray newspaper that was being tossed around by the wind and Mikan felt her breath freeze because it really _was_ far back. She had barely been in the academy for a _week_.

It was perfect.

Only Mikan couldn't remember exactly what had happened her first week anymore... there was Central Town, and for some reason dodge ball kept on popping into her head, but other than that nothing specific.

"Wow, my memory sucks now..."

She kept on walking, careful to avoid the places that she knew contained a lot of people. It was during classes still, which would be going on for two more hours, but there were still the wanders and those who had free study right now.

"I need," she mused, "to make a list of things to do."

The obvious was to make sure Natsume survived.

Yuka... her mother should live too, which meant the Elementary school principal needed to go down as well. Persona needed his freedom along with Nobara and-

"Aoi!" She shouted suddenly, clapping a fist into her other hand and a few birds scattered in their trees out of surprise.

She had completely forgotten about her...

"Natsume," she muttered thoughtfully, "would probably want her free as a first priority, wouldn't he?"

"Who wants who to be free, ochibi-chan?"

Mikan stiffened and turned to see a softly smiling boy that she didn't recognize. Not that that meant anything, she didn't remember many from this far back after all... he looked to be a DA agent judging from his stance and the structure of his muscles which she could vaguely see even under his uniform. He was a fighter.

He also had to have died early if she didn't know this ones face. While she didn't remember many, she _did_ remember who fought.

She tilted her head, asking a silent _what?_

His little smile just widened, revealing a perfect row of white teeth and sharp canines.

"Just wonderin' what a little elementary student like you is doing wanderin' around is all," he responded and Mikan snorted at him - he didn't look much older than she - but didn't respond.

"Oh, nothin' to say? C'mon ochibi-chan, I don't bite!"

Eying his sharp teeth, Mikan couldn't help but doubt that.

"Walking," she responded shortly, just to get him to leave.

"And talkin' to yourself, don't forget that," he teased.

"Oh yes. And talking to myself."

"What about? Where you walkin' to?"

When the boy fell in step with her, Mikan couldn't help but grit her teeth in frustration and annoyance. Why was he bothering her? She'd never even seen him before in the- Here she had to pause. What was it? Past? Old... timeline?

Whatever.

She had never met him _before_.

It was amazing what could happen by chance.

"Can you leave?" Mikan asked shortly, spinning on her heel to face him. "You're an annoyance and I have things to do."

"Like get back to the hospital and rest because you collapsed not long ago?"

She took a careful step back.

"You..."

"The name's Yuki-"

"Isn't that a girls name?"

His eyebrows furrowed.

"It can be a guys name too... besides, it _suits_ me. Anywho, I'm Yuki. And... well, I'm not _supposed_ to say this, but I was assigned to watch you and make sure you don't get yourself into trouble. Ditchin' the hospital is considered trouble. I need you to go back."

"Funny."

"Please?"

Mikan thought that she could see why this one was killed off before the war could even start. He didn't fit the Dangerous Ability mold. He was... soft.

"No."

"But- but I'll fail my mission then!"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a _look_.

"And I care because...?" her words trailed off, prompting him to give her a valid reason.

"You care deeply for my well-being despite our having never met before two minutes ago?"

"If 'caring deeply' means 'not at all', then yes. I certainly do. I care _so_ deeply in fact, if you would walk away now and never so much as think of me again, it would be too soon."

Yuki laughed then, loud and long and Mikan thought that he was surely insane.

"Oh, you're funny! Hehe... Nothing like what the file said at all. Oh man, I haven't met many with your kind of humor-" Mikan broke in with a blunt "honesty" which went ignored, "-round here."

Well, years of war and closing ones self up with minimal human interaction did make ones humor rather unique she supposed. Cheerful Mikan was reserved for friends only. This guy got Sarcastic/Dry Mikan.

"And now that this glorious fact has been discovered: go away."

"Ouch. Aren't kids suppos'ta be cute? Because you aren't."

"And you're almost as old as I am, making you a kid too. And you're definitely not cute."

"I care what you think think of me. Really."

"I can tell. You gonna go cry about it now?"

"For sures. In a cave, actually... for dramatic effect."

"Candles?"

"Least'a dozen."

"Impressive. There will be rain, I assume."

"But of course! For what is drama without spontaneous and well placed rain to highlight the suffering of my soul?"

"Reality?"

"Milday, your outlook is much to _bland._ Use your imagination!"

"And end up like you? I'd rather not... the idea of having my head full of clouds isn't very appealing to me."

There was a pause then where both they studied the other, and Mikan found her lips twitching to match Yuki's.

Yuki snorted, Mikan giggled, and then they couldn't catch their breath for a short time due to their laughs.

"Oh-" Mikan took a gulp of air, "You're not to bad, really."

Yuki ruffled her hair, still laughing.

"I could say the same for you, princess."

"Pft- Princess? Me?"

"Sure! You act like one, what with your 'holier-than-thou' attitude and complete disregard for authority."

"I thought princesses were supposed to be sweet and crap."

"Naw. That's a lie."

"I see."

"...will you go back now?"

"No."

"Didn't think so."

There was another moment where one looked at the other in silence, contemplating.

"Wanna go steal food from the cafeteria? Least that way I can say that I kept an eye on you."

_'Of all the random things to propose...'_ she thought with a blink. _'Really. Inviting someone you just meant to go steal with you?'_

Mikan shook her head in disbelief. Grinned.

Looking at the hand that Yuki had offered with a flourish and a wink, she thought. It was her first day back in the past. She was ten, everything was as normal as it could be, and the war was many years away. She could take a moment to enjoy herself, she supposed, with some random boy that she just happened to meet and wasn't as annoying as he initially seemed.

She placed her smaller hand in his.

"Sure."

"Then follow me, princess. Your banquette awaits."

-O-

Natsume was walking to his room, frowning. Thinking.

Polka's collapse had been so... sudden.

Uncalled for.

No reason.

"_N... n...t'sme."_

Natsume.

Him.

"Why...?"

It was probably because he just happened to be there. It made sense after all, but he found it bothering him.

"Tch."

He would ignore it. Continuing his brisk pace, he cut through the cafeteria, it being the shorter route to the dorms than going around the school like he was actually supposed to. He had a meeting the next day in the Dangerous Abilities room. It was not something that he was looking forward to... Stupid Persona. Why would-

"Hand me the cookies on your right!"

Natsume stopped at the hushed voice - male? - and listened closer.

It seemed to be coming from the pantry which was located just inside the entrance of the kitchen which was currently empty. There was still and hour left of class, which Natsume had typically ditched, and at least five until dinner. It was the perfect time to filch a couple of snacks, though most didn't have the guts to do so.

The sounds of rustling papers and clinking glasses were heard and then a girls voice hissed and cursed.

"I'm too short, you big moron!"

"Oh, quit whining, princess. I'm getting your stupid candy so you can get my cookies. Use the orange crate for a boost."

Unintelligible mumbles.

Natsume slowly crept closer.

"I expect steak."

"Yeah, 'cause they won't notice _that_ missing."

"We're _stealing food_, you big moron. They're going to notice anyway!"

"Meats expensive yo!"

"Get a small one."

"You're wish's my command, milady!"

The girl - he assumed - smacked the other and the boy hissed.

"Here's your cookies."

"...gee, thanks."

"Your sarcasm. It burns."

Natsume had reached the doorway now, and peeked through the thin crack of the mostly shut door... and stared.

Mikan Sakura and some kid whose name Natsume always forgot were standing around, jabbing one another and trading insults with large amounts of food shoved in their arms and grabbing more.

Mikan shoved into whats-his-face, ordering him to get her the Belgian waffles above her head and he responded with a "Sure thing princess!" - Natsume couldn't help but want to snort at this. Her? A princess? - and more debate on whether or not they had enough food and where to go to eat it.

"Tch. Maybe you should wait until dinner, pigs."

Both of them froze and very slowly turned to see Natsume scowling from the doorway, now wide open.

He and Yuki startled when Mikan dropped everything in her arms, a bottle of ramune rolling towards Natsume's feet. She had stiffened up and looked like she was trying not to shake... or bolt.

"N-natsum-me..." she said shakily.

Yuki looked at her with concern and carefully placed his share of goods on the shelf beside him.

"Princess...?"

He reached out a hesitant hand towards her shoulder, but Mikan snapped into action, caught his wrist, and twisted hard. Her pupils were dilated and breathing harsh, and she looked scared and confused, and-

"What the hell polka? Let him go!"

It was as though cold water had been thrown over her as she quickly released her hold and straightened up and began to apologize profusely to her new potential friend.

"I-I-I-" she tried to continue, but failed, and Natsume was now right next to them, unsure of what to do and watching with quick eyes and speeding mind as - Yuki, she had said - tried to get her to calm down and ask what was wrong. Meanwhile, the black cats patience was running thin and he growled low in his throat.

"I don't know what the _hell_ your deal is Polka, but you shouldn't be in here and your reaction was completely uncalled for!"

She flinched with every word, and Yuki glared with blazing eyes.

"Leave her alone! Somethin's obviously wrong!"

"Tch!"

"Go away, Hyuuga! You-! ...shit. Please, please don't cry."

Yuki became frantic as tears began to cut down Mikan's cheeks without her consent.

Natsume didn't know what to do. Everything about this situation- this _day_... It was so confusing!

-o-

It hurt.

Everything.

_Everything_.

Mikan didn't know why - _why wasn't she happy right now, she should be happy!_ - and that made her angry.

She was replaying everything. The good and the bad and the terrible. A whirlwind of emotions were reeking havoc in her mind.

It was like that Natsume-shaped hole in her chest had been ripped anew at the sight of him, and she couldn't stop herself when tears began to burn the backs of her eyes and spill over.

She knew that she was worrying them. Scaring them, even. But Mikan couldn't help it, because Mikan didn't understand it herself.

_'It hurts.'_

"C'mon, Princess. Isn't this that candy that you really wanted? And I got somethin' even better! Fluff Puffs. I took the biggest box! And I got some other things too, see? We can go sit under the trees or somethin' and you can have all of it. Please, just stop crying."

But Mikan couldn't. Try as she might, they just wouldn't stop, and the more she tried to hold them back, the worse the sobs became. She barely even noticed when Yuki began shouting for Natsume to back off and get out of the way as he stuffed some things into his jacket and under his arms while somehow managing to lift Mikan up all at the same time.

All she could see were rubies and midnight.

-O-

_Princess... what the hell was that?_

The tears had subsided, but Mikan had fallen asleep, propped up against a tree in the Eastern Forest. Something told Yuki that she would want to be as far away as possible from people if she could help it.

He had managed to grab several of the things that she had wanted, and now had them sitting atop his folded jacket in the grass as he waited for her to wake up.

Yuki hoped that Natsume had stopped following them.

He wasn't good for her, that much was obvious, and dammit all if he would let him get close to his new friend ever again.

And yes, she was a friend. In fact, Yuki was confident that they would end up becoming very close friends, if not best. He had always been good at predicting his relationships with people if given enough time to analyze them. Almost like a second Alice.

Mikan stirred then, and Yuki shifted to attention as she slowly cracked open red-rimmed eyes.

"Yuki?"

"Hey princess," he smiled warmly. "Welcome to the world of the living. My name's Yuki, how may I help you?"

This didn't inspire the laugh that Yuki had hoped for, but that was alright because she at least smiled, just a little. If you squinted.

"I'm sorry. I just met you and you had to see... _that_."

The boy shook his head.

"It's no biggie. I get it. Something was wrong, and I can't get mad at you for something like that. Besides! You and I are buds now! We insulted each other, stole food together, _and_ I also think that we just bonded or something over that whole ordeal. Like for reals."

This time Mikan actually giggled, and Yuki wanted to pump his fists in the air and cheer.

He resisted.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk kind of funny?"

He shrugged, fingering his hair.

"I'm not exactly from around here, if you catch my drift."

She just continued with her small smile and Yuki matched it in return.

"I brought some of the food. We're in the Eastern Forest by the way."

Mikan nodded in comprehension and took the bottled soda offered to her, only slightly chilled now, twisting the lid sharply.

She was rewarded with the breath of carbonation escaping and took a long sip of her drink. Yuki began opening boxes and packages of all the food he had managed to take while carrying her, a surprising amount, and they now had their own miniature feast.

"Thanks," she muttered.

They ate in silence, but it was a peaceful one. She tried to think up an explanation during it, and when the food was gone and their was only half of her drink left, she opened her mouth to speak. Yuki held up his hand for silence.

Her teeth clicked shut.

"You probably didn't hear me, but I brought this too. It's a special candy that you can only get from Central Town called Fluff Puffs. I think you'd like it a lot, so I got a whole box to share with you."

Yuki slid the package forward and Mikan flipped the lip open with numb fingers, a slow smile invading her features at the sight of clouds of sugar.

She had missed these...

"Thank you. And about before-"

"Don't. You don't have to tell a thing to me until we become better friends. Which we will. Deal?"

Mikan snorted, and picked up a piece of white, popping it into her mouth.

"Deal."

So they sat, and they ate. This time with conversation and jabs and laughter.

All the while in the back of her mind, Mikan couldn't help but think how different he and Natsume were; one being open and bright from the start, the other closed and stoic until you got past the barriers of stone; one with messy pitch black hair and deep ruby red eyes, and the other with only slightly better tamed hair the color of freshly fallen snow and eyes the color of rainclouds in the winter time.

-O-

_Skilled fingers wove several more strands of red into the tapestry along with pure white and silvery grey, both crossing and weaving tightly with the stripe of orange in the center. Another strand of white was carefully added into the mixture... and then a single piece of complete and utter black._

-O-o-O-

**A/N: **I am so sick right now. It's not even okay... as such I have no idea if this chapter is okay or not. I probably shouldn't write and post when I can't think straight but I feel so bad that its taken so long for me to update.

I will probably re-write this when I get better and can look at this with a clear head and ask myself "wtfh was I thinking?" and correct it all.

On another note: anyone else adore Yuki as much as I do? Because I love the kid.

Next update in two weeks mi'lovelies... promise.

**Please review, really. Please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **Because time cut short is the cruelest thing of all... and she was going to stop it from happening again. No matter what. Time-travel R&R

**Iridescent  
><strong>_The property of certain surfaces to_ _change color as the angle or view of illumination changes_

**Chapter 2  
><strong>

_"I've been thinking..."_

_"Oh boy."_

_"Shush, meanie. I've been thinking about the war. Like, was it worth the destruction and deaths it caused?"_

_"...it was necessary."  
><em>

-O-

Hotaru found them several hours later.

Narrowed violet eyes studied the two who were sleeping soundly, a strangers back up against a tree and Mikan right next to him, leaning against his shoulder for support and a place to rest her head. Trash littered the area, and a soft wind that had managed to make it through all the trees blew an empty wrapper towards her feet.

They were almost... cute.

She didn't waste any more time however, as the sun would be setting soon and they needed to get out of the forest as soon as possible.

She stepped off her ride, Invention 16: Giraffe-and-go, and took careful steps towards them.

_'Who is this boy, and why is he with Mikan?'_ she wondered.

When she'd heard from - a tight frown curled her lips - her _brother_ that the idiot was missing, she'd gone to search for her immediately. Her best friend had just collapsed, and teachers assurances that they would find her or not, she wouldn't just leave her out there alone.

Upon asking a shaken looking and grumpier than usual Natsume Hyuuga if he'd seen the girl, he'd growled at her and told her that he "didn't give a damn where that stupid polka-dot was."

So Hotaru took that as a "no" and moved on.

Carefully, so as not to startle her, the inventor reached a pale hand to Mikan to wake her, when suddenly a grip of steel was clamped around her wrist.

Sharply she looked to the boy - who _was_ he? - and saw a single, piercing storm-gray eye pinning her in place.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." he murmured, and Hotaru wasn't quite able to suppress the small shiver and slight widening of her eyes at the ice in his gaze and steely tone. "She's had a long day. Leave her alone; she needs the sleep."

"Who are you?" she managed, and was secretly glad she'd been able to keep her voice level.

"Yuki," he answered simply, and grinned wolfishly at her as he slid his second eye open.

"How do you know that idiot sleeping on you?"

"Recent friends, I suppose."

"Why are you two out here of all places?"

"I was helping ochibi-chan out. She needed it."

"Hmph. Looks more like you two went out on a little snatching-spree."

Hotaru nudged a can with her foot.

"Maa... maybe at first," Yuki admitted with a smirk.

"But...?"

"That's up to her to tell you."

Hotaru studied him for a moment before jerking her arm out of his grip and taking a few steps back.

"Wake the idiot up," she snapped. "She needs to get back to the hospital to make sure she's fine."

Yuki mocked her with an indulging smile before nudging Mikan.

"Priiiincessss," He murmured with a mischievous grin. "Wake up~ Your prince charming is here to take you home~ Or well. Something like a prince charming, I suppose."

He looked at Hotaru dryly, who merely rose a single eyebrow in response.

Mikan mumbled something to him but didn't move.

"Hell_ooo_ooo? Do you need a special kiss to-" here he snickered and Hotaru rolled her eyes, knowing where it was going but not bothering to interrupt, "-break the curse and wake you up?"

The time-traveler seemed to be waking up now, but Yuki continued on anyway.

"Okay!" he declared loudly, hooking her neck with an arm and drawing his face closer to his. "You aren't up yet so I guess that you _do _need a _kiss_ then~"

Mikan's eyes fluttered open then and she mumbled a sleepy, "wha?" before noticing the face that was just centimeters away from hers and the way that Yuki's lips were almost-

Mikan shrieked.

"Ow!" Yuki hissed, rubbing his cheek with a pout where the now standing girl had decked him.

Hazel eyes were furious as she glared at him and hissed out a stream of insults that made Hotaru's eyes go wide and Yuki chuckle in amusement.

"Now, now, Mikan. I was just-"

"Being a pervert!"

"-joking with ya!" he continued as though uninterrupted.

She just sputtered at him before her eyes narrowed and suddenly her lips slid into a very tiny grin. Yuki looked at her warily.

"Just a joke, hm?" she asked softly.

Hotaru watched in amazement as _her_ Mikan practically strutted her way toward the fallen Yuki and slid a finger under his chin to tilt it up toward herself. Her smile widened into something sultry as she tilted her head ever so slightly to the left.

"_What a pity_," she purred at the now reddening boy below her. "I'd thought that we could've, ah..."

She leaned down to whisper something into his ear that Hotaru couldn't heard but must have been something, what with the way that Yuki's face went cherry red and he began to babble nonsensically.

_'What the hell,'_ Hotaru wondered. _'Since when did oblivious Mikan- No. Since when did _any_ ten-year-old act like this so easily?'_

She must've hit her head when she fell, the inventor concluded.

Hotaru was broken out of her reverie by the sounds of hysterical laughter and the defensive stutters of Mikan and Yuki, one who could barely remain upright due to her giggles and the other who was now standing but remained cherry red.

"I... don't even want to know," Hotaru decided aloud, and Mikan froze and looked up at her upon hearing her voice, all the previous airs she'd put on diminished.

She seemed almost hesitant as she straightened up and took three slow steps towards her. Something... _dark_ seemed to be swirling in her eyes, and for one long, horrible moment, her face contorted into the most pained expression that she'd _ever_ seen on Mikan's face before clearing up so quickly Hotaru wasn't entirely sure if she'd seen it at all.

Hotaru frowned. She was acting very odd today.

"Hotaru? Is... is that you?" Mikan asked hopefully.

Hope.

There hope in her expression. Her voice.

Why hope?

Why wouldn't it be her? Why would she seem afraid that it wasn't, or ever believe otherwise?

Why was there also a very clear amount of _fear_?

The girl took a moment to swallow and take a breath because whether she showed it or not, she was worried about her.

_'What's wrong with you?'_

"Tch. Of course it is, you big idiot."

Mikan laughed at this and ran to her best friend, and the other breathed in relief because those emotions were gone now and she was Mikan again.

"Hotaru!" she cried happily, launching herself at her best friend and nearly knocking Hotaru over when they collided into a hug.

"Oi," the other girl muttered, hugging Mikan back. "Why did you run out earlier today? Are you okay?"

Mikan pulled back to look at her in confusion before smiling sweetly at her.

"Of course I am!"

_'No. No you are not.'_

Mikan giggled and hugged her again.

_'If you're okay, then why are you shaking?'_

Small hands gripped at her blazer like it was a lifeline, and Hotaru found her pulling Mikan closer to her.

_'Why are you shaking, Mikan?'_

Yuki watched on with narrowed eyes.

-O-

She was pronounced healthy and ready to go by a flustered looking doctor that Mikan didn't remember and was told to take it easy for the next few days.

Mikan assured him that she would (a total lie) before leaving with Hotaru and Yuki in tow.

...Why was he still following them?

"Eh? 'Cause I'm bored, I guess," he said with a shrug when asked.

Mikan rolled her eyes.

Children could be _so_...

"Whatever."

She was still hanging onto Hotaru's arm when they entered the cafeteria, and though no one stopped outright to stare at them, Mikan didn't miss the many mutters and looks that she gained while walking to the front of the line.

News (and rumors) traveled fast in places like this. She'd almost forgotten.

"D'ya need somethin'?" Yuki asked one boy with and intimidating snarl when he stared for too long, and Mikan smacked him lightly on the arm when he shot off in fear.

"Oh, leave him alone, you big dummy. He's just a kid; they stare sometimes."

A snort.

"Yeah, because you're definitely not a kid yourself."

Mikan ignored him, because, well, she wasn't and he simply did not know that, and asked for and received her dinner with a tiny frown, eying the single bowl of nori sprinkled rice and miso soup with annoyance.

"Nothing but the worst for the cute little no-star, eh, Mikan-chan?" asked a voice from behind and to Mikan's surprise and delight she saw her two senpais standing behind her, twin grins on their faces.

"Tsubasa-senpai! Misaki-senpai!" she cheered as she quickly mimicked a koala, hanging off Tsubasa's neck as she chattered happily to him.

"Eh? You're energetic," Misaki observed, mouth forming a slight O shape. "Guess you're okay after all. See Tsubasa-baka? She's fine!"

The shadow Alice pouted at her and complained, "You were just as worried! Besides, she's my new cute little kouhai; I wasn't just going to leave her hanging if she needed help. SA is a family after all."

His word made the time-traveler smile warmly.

_'Dear god, I haven't seen these two in ages. Especially Misaki,'_ she thought to herself. _'They're so... young looking now!'_

She tightened her hold around Tsubasa, unwilling to let go of someone she thought of as an older brother just yet. He was smiling and happy, a lightness that had disappeared once Misaki was killed - Mikan shuddered ever so slightly at the memory - present and alive. Everything had gone so downhill after his girlfriends death; Mikan was sure that Misaki dying is what ultimately killed him in the end. But here he was, never having even tasted war yet: Happy. Warm. Breathing.

She would keep it that way no matter what.

They all ended up eating together, Hotaru making snide jabs and comments at Yuki for the most part - and Mikan was wondering what was up with those two, seeing as though they seemed to have some kind of instant rivalry thing going on - while Mikan spoke with everyone, sitting in Tsubasa's lap as she picked off his plate that he was generously sharing and Misaki listened with a fond interest.

She couldn't even describe how wonderful it was to see everyone getting along so easily and perfectly was. It was just so... natural to be together and be having a good time, even if not everyone was present.

Mikan wouldn't have had it any other way.

-o-O-o-

She lay in her tiny no-star bed with closed eyes. Yesterday had been a very long one...

Absent minded, she realized that she'd missed her trip to Central Town, but at least it was Sunday and she had a full day to rest now.

"I wonder how late it is?" she mused softly, feeling lazy now that the stress of the future had lifted and she knew she could fix all of it.

She didn't bother to check.

"By my watch? I'd say it's like... way past breakfast time. 'Cause I don't have a watch, but that was totally hours ago 'n all."

Mikan's eye twitched and very, very slowly, she sat up.

_'Please don't let that be who I think it is...'_

She opened her eyes.

Yuki smiled cheekily at her.

"Yo!"

"..."

"..."

"Yuki?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"What the hell are you doing in my room?"

"Ah..." Yuki look down and scratched his head sheepishly. "That's a good question, isn't it?"

Mikan just looked at him and he rolled his eyes.

"I jus' wanted to know if you were goin' t'end your hermitage soon and eat lunch or somethin', 'cause I'm bored and you're not doin' anythin' anyway and I'm not doin' anythin' either so I thought we could eat together. Yeah?"

"And that requires you breaking into my room?" Mikan asked in disbelief.

"Well, yah. Doy. How else was I supposed t'talk with ya?"

"By knocking on my door and waiting for me to answer it...? You do realize that boys aren't allowed in the girls' rooms, yes?"

"Eh. Knocking, breaking in... same ol' same ol'. Rules were made t'be broken, my dear."

"No. No, not really."

He ignored her.

"So, how 'bout it, my cute little BFF?" Yuki asked with a grin.

"BFF? We just met yesterday!"

"And the stars dictated that best friendship was inevitable, yo!"

_'When I came back, I was so not planning on spending the first few days with... with some strange kid who took a liking to me for no apparent reason,'_ Mikan thought with a tired sigh. _'He's not bad or anything, but still. So odd. Why had I never met him before?'_

"You're unbelievable! Get out of my room, you weirdo."

"Oh! Woe is me, for the ladies' words doth burn so!" Yuki cried dramatically, clutching his chest as though he'd been stabbed in the heart. He threw an arm to his forehead as he stumbled back, and crumpled to the ground with a poorly acted cry of pain and the sorrowful words of, "Alas, it seems as though our meeting this day was not meant to be! Farewell, cruel world!"

Mikan crawled to the edge of her bed with a smile filled with dry amusement, watching as he drew out a very cheesy and very typical death scene where he almost died three times, breathing harsh and pain fake, before dying "for real" with a final, teary good-bye to the world and all its inhabitants "who I like... _don't_ hate tha' is" he told her in a serious stage whisper before returning to his theatrics. He held his heart once more before flopping around like some kind of deranged psychopath possessed in his "final death-throws" as he personally narrated, before finally - _finally_ - coming to a stop.

For a long time, there was only silence.

"...So that was a lot longer and more drawn out than necessary. I'll admit it was amusing though," Mikan giggled finally, bringing the back of her hand to her lips to try and muffle the sound. "Very amusing."

Yuki peaked an eye open and grinned at her before sitting up.

"Thank you, thank you! I'll be here till... well. Till I graduate, really. Wow. So. About lunch?"

"Hm?"

"Come with me, Princess?"

Mikan looked at his flourish pose which was reminiscent of yesterday. He held a hand to his chest, the other reaching towards her as he was down on one knee, winking at her and trying to smile in what Mikan supposed he meant to be "attractive" or "princely" but only achieving "Grade A Idiot". Sadly enough, she was sure that that was what he had been going for anyway.

Even sadder? It worked.

_'What the hell,'_ she decided. _'I hung out with him yesterday, and I suppose I can do it again today. I can get to planning tonight and it will give me a little more time to relax before I get down to business. He's fun at least._'

"You're a real piece of work, you know," Mikan said bluntly, but grabbed onto his hand anyway.

He stood up and smiled at her.

"But that's why y'love me!"

"Uh huh. I totally love the odd stranger who has taken to stalking me immediately."

"Hey! We're buddies now, and it was only because I had to!"

Mikan laughed.

"I know, I know. Now get out so I can change. I'll be out in five minutes."

"Yes, your highness. Your friend Hotaru and two girls with pink and blue hair are waiting outside too by the way. And can you believe it when they said it was their natural hair color? Natural!"

"Because you're hair isn't abnormal at all."

"It's not."

"Uh huh."

"It's real!"

"Whatever you say, Yuki. Now can you get out?"

"Fine Princess. I'm goin'! I'll await for your return loyally outside the door!"

"Thank you, my dear knight," Mikan retorted with a wink.

He left her room, snickers ending with the sound of her closing door.

Staring at the closed piece of wood, she rolled her eyes.

"That kid sure is something," she murmured.

Mikan walked to her dresser and pulled out a simple but cute looking sleeveless turtleneck sweater - red - and khaki shorts. Pulling on a pair of sandals, she walked into her small bathroom and began brushing out her hair from the messy pigtails they'd been in all night.

She had pulled them back into neat and smooth tails and was about to leave when she stopped to really look at herself. She looked like Mikan: ten-years-old, a newly found Alice. A child.

But she wasn't.

She was Mikan Sakura: veteran fighter. A dangerous Alice. A catalyst: broken, lost, fighting again... and she was only twenty-two.

Such a childish hairstyle didn't suit her.

She pulled the ribbons from her hair with a lost looking gaze and fingered the locks mindlessly; pulling it this way and that while looking at the long waves in the mirror with a sad smile.

It didn't suit her at all.

It was too childish.

Too innocent.

"And I... am neither of those."

Mikan took a step back, something seeming to come over her as she gazed at her reflection with pained eyes. She hated it. She really, really hated it; this her she was seeing: sweet and innocent when she was anything but.

She saw nothing but a liar.

And Mikan... she wanted that to change.

_'Ne, Natsume?'_

She went back to her room, and pulled open a drawer.

_'Are you watching me right now?'_ she wondered.

A pair of scissors, handles black and blades gleaming silver, shone there.

_'Are you seeing me even from the future?'_

Mikan walked back to the bathroom.

_'Are you proud of me?'_

She brought the scissors up.

_'Disappointed?'_

Opened the twin blades.

_'Are you happy with what I plan to do?'_

And closed them quickly.

_'Do you approve of what I'm going to change?'_

She repeated the process.

_'Ne, Natsume?'_

Again, and again.

_'I'm doing this for you, you know.'_

And again.

_'Because I love you.'_

She set the scissors down.

_'I'm changing everything for you.'_

And smiled.

"That's better."

_'Ne, Natsume?'_

She turned away from the mirror.

_'Watch me.'_

And didn't look back.

_'I'm going to change everything...'_

Mikan turned the door handle slowly, and swung it open.

_'For you...'_

"I'm ready, everyone."

_'...And for me.'_

"M-mikan? Wha...?" Hotaru whispered.

_'Watch me.'_

"Let's go to lunch, hm?"

_'Ne, Natsume?'_

She fingered her chin-length hair with a warm smile.

Somehow, she felt... _lighter._

It looked just like her mothers did before she died; the mother she'd barely gotten to know.

"Your hair..." Yuki murmured in disbelief. "Why...?"

Mikan just smiled.

"I needed a change."

_'I can do this.'_

"Let's go everyone."

o-O-o-O-o

_The weaver stopped their work a moment to smile down at the events below them._

_Carefully measured were a long length of silver-grey thread, bubble gum pink, midnight blue, and a shining amethyst color._

_Carefully, they began to be woven into a detailed circle, the center of which was an orange star._

_Thick stripes of white and silver-grey competed with red that made up the whole of the tapestry and the bands of black began to seem a little less noticeable..._

_The weaver continued their work, and a picture began to form._

-O-o-O-o-O-

**A/N:** _I will edit this when I can think._ I'm aware this chapter is... lacking.

So. That awkward moment when you were very late for an update, and it was because you're half dead.

I burned the entire palm of my hand: first and second degree. Which _would_ happen to me considering its the most sensitive and therefore the most painful part of ones body to burn. Typing... still hurts. I look part mummy... *sniffles*

Here's your chapter! Over nearly 4,000 words for you guys... *breaths deeply* Please review for me. Or the chapter, I guess...

I'm going to go cry in a corner now. I bid you all adeu until next time! I hope it will be soon, but with my luck who knows?

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: **Because time cut short is the cruelest thing of all... and she was going to stop it from happening again. No matter what. Time-travel R&R

**Iridescent  
><strong>_The property of certain surfaces to_ _change color as the angle or view of illumination changes_

**Chapter 3  
><strong>

Monday morning, murmured rumors and comments followed and clung to Mikan like some sort of social leech. Her passing out, running away, and now the new hair cut and apparent attitude change had her teachers, classmates, and people she didn't even know or remember gossiping in confusion.

Mikan found it odd, and rather annoying.

She'd been here a week only, yet the whole school seemed to know her. Vaguely she realized a lot of it had to do with her being Natsume's partner...

"Ah well, what can you do?"

Hotaru gave her a look.

"Talking to yourself again, Mikan?"

She laughed and shrugged, waving a hand as she tried to explain.

"I only say little things! And its not that often either!"

Mikan's hair swung with her motions, the slightly curled edges prickly and soft against her skin.

Her best friend stared at her oddly, something she'd been doing ever since Mikan changed her hairstyle and feeling a little self conscious, she played with the ends.

"...Class will be starting soon. You should get your things out; Jinno is first," the inventor said finally, and Mikan frowned when she pushed Mikan out of her chair and ordered her to go to her assigned seat.

She did so with a sigh, scuffing her feet as she walked. Across the room, Sumire made a snide comment that went ignored with ease.

_'I'd forgotten how bratty she was at this age,'_ she though with a soft laugh, sliding into her seat. Natsume hadn't come to class yet, and Mikan wasn't sure if she was happy or unhappy about that yet.

She was still nervous about seeing him.

But the bell rang and Natsume still hadn't shown up, though a somewhat distraught Ruka sat in his seat with his rabbit, eying Mikan with a look that told her nothing good and made her chest feel heavy. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath when Jinno walked in and made herself ready for class.

It didn't escape her notice that her old teacher, once tormentor, and futures-past mentor and friend paled and faltered in step when he saw Mikan for the first time since Fridays events.

She smiled a little sadly. His death had been swift, yet disturbing in the way that he'd crumpled to the ground without warning when an enemy Alice downed him with some never before experienced power. He didn't go unavenged however; the girl who'd attacked barely made it three steps before Mikan's team descended with righteous fury.

He opened his mouth to say something before collecting himself and putting on the stern expression that only he seemed to be able to pull off.

The time-traveler snorted in amusement. Typical Jinno.

He seemed to have regained normalcy well enough again... but he didn't look at or call on her the entire class that day.

XxXxX

The day passed in a blur, and next thing she knew, it was the fourth period of the day. Narumi would be teaching, and then they would go to Alice classes followed by the end of the day. Lunch had just ended. Natsume... still hadn't shown up, and Mikan was feeling worried. She bit her lip and frowned in thought, chewing lightly before releasing it.

Narumi-sensei was late, and Mikan rolled her eyes at this, wondering if he was going to pawn off the unruly class of elementary preschoolers to the poor assistant teacher that day or actually teach.

Ten minutes late - Mikan eventually started tossing notes back and fourth across the room with Hotaru to alleviate her boredom - Narumi arrived, a warm looking sweater hanging off his shoulders and his hair tied into a knot at the back of his head. He smiled as he walked in.

"_Sensei!_" complained a girl. "You're late!"

The blond just laughed - Mikan marveled over this - and walked to the front of the room where he casually placed a stack of papers down on the teachers podium.

"Better late than never, hmm?" he asked with a little wink.

She heard Hotaru snort even from the other side of the room, and Mikan smiled to herself as he started calling role and spaced out as he made his way down the long list of students.

"-oro is here I see, Sumire Shouda: here. Mikan Saku...ra."

Said child looked up then, confused at the tone of her pseudo fathers voice as he trailed off. She looked down guiltily as she realized that it must be the hair. She looked like a miniature Yuka now, and _that_ she knew, had to be both a horrid shock and painful ordeal for her teacher.

"...Narumi-sensei?" she questioned softly, and she room was mostly silent aside from the groups of students here and there ignoring class and talking amongst themselves.

More than one pair of eyes watched the two carefully.

_'Vultures,'_ her mind hissed.

His clear violet eyes were wide and, unlike his coworkers reaction, Narumi couldn't seem to keep the look of shock off of his features and from showing in his body.

_'Snap out of it,'_ she willed.

"Sensei?" she tried again, louder, and the blond blinked then, startled out of his thoughts that she was positive revolved around her mother.

"A-ah, yes," he said with forced but shaky cheer. "Mikan-chan is present I see... Homura Natsuo? Here."

Mikan sat back in her seat and grimaced feeling guilty for causing the other emotional pain.

She still wouldn't have changed her actions though, had she known. The new length was so oddly freeing and... Well. She wasn't really sure how to describe it. But she loved it, and would leave it be.

"Everyone, we will be reading a little bit of Shakespeare today," Narumi informed the class as he tried to pull himself together. "Yumi, pass out these papers, hmm? We'll take turns reading, and then have some time to discuss the meaning."

The class murmured, some confused as to who Shakespeare was, some uncaring, others groaning.

"Can anyone tell who Shakespeare-san was and a few things about him?"

Mikan knew he probably wouldn't appreciate this, but...

"I do, Narumu-sensei!"

He looked over to her, and she could see him suppressing a flinch. He nodded for her to continue.

"William Shakespeare-san was an English poet who lived in the late fifteen hundreds and early sixteen hundreds. He wrote many popular plays that are well know and treasured across the world," she explained to the class with a little smile. She loved Shakespeare. "Some of the works are _Hamlet_, _Macbeth_, and as most of you should know, _Romeo and Juliet_. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. His works have influenced people even in japan from art, to more writing, and even inspired some major academic achievements, which is probably why we're learning about it."

Mikan turned her head to her teacher who was looking at her in vague surprise that had nothing to do with her looks this time. She smiled sweetly.

_'That's right, it's just me Narumi.'_

"Ne, sensei, is that right?" she prompted.

"Ah... yes Mikan-chan. That is a very big reason as to why. Good job!" he said happily.

Mikan continued smiling at him and sat down. She winced a second later when something small hit her on the top of the head and bounced onto her desk.

A little red capsule sat there, rocking slightly still.

She picked it up; opened it; unrolled the tiny piece of paper inside.

_What was that? Since when were _you_ smart?_

She glanced back at Hotaru feeling just a little offended, but then again her friend _was_ younger at the moment, and it was her way of figuring out information that truly shocked her sometimes. Especially when she didn't want to admit she'd been caught off guard.

Mikan carefully ripped off a thin piece of paper from her handout, and wrote a reply.

She tossed it back, and almost laughed out loud when it hit her friend between the eyes.

_'God! The look on her face!'_ she thought with barely suppressed giggles.

_I can be smart when I want to be, meanie~_

Hotaru's glare could be felt across the room.

Mikan just laughed to herself and smiled as she lost herself in the words and sounds of the first scene of _Midsummer Nights Dream_, standing up and reading in a clear voice when it came to be her turn.

xXxXx

xXxXx

Mikan just looked at them.

"...What are you doing?" She asked slowly.

Her Special Abilities classmates looked up; Yuki, who was currently sitting crisscross on the floor, pouting and in a friendly headlock from Tsubasa. The whole of the class seemed to be working on some kind of mass project, and blinding white sheets of paper and random items littered the tables and floors.

"They're bullying me!" Yuki whined pathetically.

Mikan shook her head, and stepped through the door.

She slapped him across the head.

"Hey!"

Tsubasa laughed loudly.

"Why are you here?" Mikan asked with a frown. "Like... _seriously_ Yuki."

"I told y'yesterday," he defended with a scowl.

"I know, but-"

"Oh my god!" Tsubasa suddenly shouted, and Mikan found herself being swept up by her senpai, a look of horror on his face. "Your hair!"

"My hair...?"

"It's- It's _gone_!"

Mikan bit her lip, giggling.

"Well, I cut it!"

"_Doy_," the Shadow Alice said with a roll of his eyes. "But _why_? It was so pretty! And- and- Ouch!"

"It looks great, Mikan-chan," Misaki interrupted with a wink and a smile. "Super cute."

"Her beautiful hair!" Tsubasa wailed again. No one listened.

Mikan beamed.

"So, what is everyone doing? You look like you're planning for something big."

"Oh! I can explain that," called one girl excitedly. "We just got the news that Reo Mouri is coming to the school soon!"

Her face dropped and became an emotionless mask that concerned those around her and Yuki stilled as he watched her features carefully.

"Reo... Mouri, huh?"

"Yup!" the girl continued, oblivious. "He's a big singer and _oh_ I hope he performs for us! You know him, right?"

"I know him."

Mikan took a moment to close her eyes and swallow with a small amount of difficulty.

She knew him. She knew Reo... Mikan wished that she was better able to control her emotions as nausea began to turn her stomach a images of death - that's all she could remember lately, wasn't it - began filling her mind.

She took a quick breath and forced it back with difficulty.

"So, is that was all of this mess is for?"

_'Please let my voice be steady.'_

"Yeah, kid," Tsubasa said with a careful grin, and his long-time friend jabbed him in the ribs as a rough command for him to act more naturally. "We wanted to see him, so we're planning out how to make that happen!"

The brunet found herself with a excited looking Yuki in uncomfortably close proximity to her face, and she leaned back as he looped an arm around her neck.

"Sup, Princess?"

She pushed his face away with an amused frown, answering "Not much, stupid."

He sighed with a sad smile.

"Again with your bitin' words, but I know that ya feel fer me!"

Misaki watched the two with growing interest, and Tsubasa had an expression of indignation. He may have only known her for a week and a half, but no weird kid was getting close to his kuohai without his approval!

"I am _so_ having a word with this brat later," he growled.

Misaki rolled her eyes at him.

Unaware, Mikan spoke to her newest friend, "I feel for you, what I feel for my shoe: nothing."

"But it's a cute shoe, so you gotta feel somthin'."

They all glanced down at her shiny new boots, a little scuffed and dirty from the constant wear the past week, muddy from her walk through the forest.

Someone snorted and Mikan grinned at Yuki.

"Sure. Adorable like a muddy boot."

Yuki stuck out his tongue in retaliation, and brought his other arm up to make a loose loop around Mikan as he looked her pityingly.

"You'll realize how useful I am one day. Jus' wait 'n see."

"_Wait_ is the key word."

They continued their banter, those in the SA interjecting with their own words when they felt the need, and Mikan found it hilarious how they all seemed to find Yuki to be their new verbal punching bag as their comments supported Mikan and her biting, but joking, words. She knew that they were just testing him, really, but it was still fun. They sat there most of the period until Mikan suddenly stopped as she remembered something.

_'Reo Mouri. Today..._ Natsume!_'_ Mikan began running to the door, stopping the current conversation.

"Mikan-chan?" someone called, and Mikan was too distracted to identify who.

"Sorry, sorry! I just remembered something important! Have fun, I'll be back later if I can, sorry!"

_'Crapcrapcrap,'_ she hissed to herself, the hallway blurring as she ran through it with her destination the hospital. _'Reo took Natsume when he came. He's in danger... ugh no wonder I didn't see him at all today: he's been sick!'_

Back in the Special Abilities room, they sat blinking. Yuki scratched the back of his head as he watched the door bang shut.

"Huh. Guess I should follow t'see what- Auck!" he choked when the back of his shirt was pulled on roughly.

"Now, just a second their, _brat_-" Yuki swallowed, "-you seem to be oddly close to my cute little underclassmen..."

A couple of the boys had looked up at well, eyes all narrowed at the white-haired boy, and he watched with panic. Misaki stood back, not helping the boys, but not helping Yuki either.

"You've got t'be kiddin' me. Princess has been here fer barely a week 'n a half, ya can't honestly be this overprotective already- I mean there hasn' been enough time t-"

_Crack!_

"Time to what?" Tsubasa asked sweetly.

"Ah- Uh... y'know, dude, I don' really think tha' it's goof for yer knuckles to make that sound. I mean-"

Tsubasa shut him up by stabbing a finger at his chest.

"What would be good, _dude_ is if you stopped talking and answered my question with absolute honesty, yeah? Now. What are your intentions? Because you were getting way too close to-"

"Pfft. I'm sorry, but wha'?"

"I said that you were getting to close to-"

Yuki slid from the older boys grip with an ease that left everyone staring in confusion, and the Shadow Alice with narrowed eyes.

"Tha's what I thought, Star Face."

"_Star Face_?" a boy mouthed to Misaki, who pointed to her cheek where his tattoo was, chuckling.

"Well-"

"The deal is, smartie, tha' _I_ am gonna be Princesses BFF. Best Friends Forever, yo! Only she's already got one'a those, so I gotta get close fast 'n prove tha' I'm the best, cuz' I _am._ I'm not pullin' the moves on the lady though. I mean... ew. She's lik'a sister, ye catch my drift, Star?"

Tsubasa stared blankly.

"But you've known her for, like, a day," Misaki pointed out.

"Three!"

"Okay, three days. How can you decide something so big, so fast, huh kid?"

"I just know these things," he declared with a wink, and Tsubasa waved his hands for him to stop talking so he could get in a word of his own.

"But the hugging, and the closeness-"

"Best Friends are close, _doy._ Next thing you know, we'll be hangin' out all the time, n' tha's gonna be a normal thing, so I suggest y'get used to it."

He nodded to himself.

Tsubasa and the others just looked at him.

"Now. If tha's all, I gotta Best Friend t'follow! Later days Star, other people!"

Yuki ran out, cackling, and Misaki patted her shell-shocked friend on the head.

"It's okay. You tried... but it does explain why Hotaru and Yuki seem to hate each other so much. They're fighting over the Best Friend title!"

"...huh."

XxXxX

Mikan was sprinting as fast as her legs could take her, dodging teachers and students alike in her haste to reach the hospital wing of the school. When she skidded to a stop in front of the sliding doors, her lungs burned and sweat was beaded on her forehead. Taking a moment to breathe, she walked into the binding carefully, noting the way that parts of the halls seemed to be blocked off and, "That must be where Natsume is..."

Mikan bit her lip as she tried to decide how to get past the guards and blinked as she remembered the small paring knife in her pocket. Before time-traveling and with everything that had happened during the war, she'd taken to carrying a blade everywhere with her and as such had filtched one from the kitchens one night. A kitchen knife was better than nothing after all, and were very sharp.

She wouldn't use it on them but it would make a good distraction...

Taking a step back, she threw the knife with all the force she could, and it made a loud _thunk_ing noise as it buried itself into the wall opposite the guards. Mikan crouched behind a large, fake plant as the men jerked and began looking around. One shouted and pointed to the weapon and they left their post to search for the potential assailant. With their backs turned now, Mikan slipped into the hall.

OoOoO

Sumire Shouda was a girl on a mission.

What was that mission you ask? Finding the superstar Reno and getting an autograph from him. The girl squealed a little at the thought, having been following the famous Alice for a long time now.

She had seen him go into the hospital not long ago and climbed in through an open window to follow him. Momentarily she wondered what it was that he was doing here, but then remembered mention of him getting a check-up.

"Now which room would he be in?" she asked herself softly, tucking her autograph book a little higher under her arm.

"Trying to find Reno, hmm?"

The girl spun around with wide eyes only to see a smiling Mikan staring at her.

"Oh, look. It's the _no-star,_" She sneered at her classmate and Mikan's smile just got a little bit wider and somehow indulgent looking.

"Yes, yes," she agreed with a little wave of her hand. "I'm a no-star. But you didn't answer my question."

Sumire snorted and gave a clipped response that affirmed the answer Mikan already knew, and the brunet breathed out a sigh.

"Well I'm looking for him too, so let's search together, hmm?"

The cat-dog Alice frowned, deciding, and then shrugged as she thought that it would probably be easier with two people looking. The other girls' face said that she had clearly expected her response when Sumire had agreed and she scowled. Something had been very_ different_ about Mikan lately, but she didn't know just what it was.

Meanwhile, the time-traveler studied the Alice she was following with a cocked head. She was so different from the girl that she had come to know and love like a sister. Right now she was just a horrible brat with a good side that you had to have a great amount of either patience or stupid unwillingness to take a hint to get to.

_'She'll grow up.'_

She could only hope that it would be in a way less cruel than before.

They walked in silence and for only a short time as it only took two minutes or so to come upon a scene that Mikan had already encountered many years before. Reo held his hand over Natsume's mouth as he struggled violently before passing out. Sumire gasped beside her and began to talk, but Mikan slapped a hand across her mouth swiftly and dragged her down with her to a crouch.

"Shh!" she hissed. "If I let you go, will you be quiet?"

She nodded and was released.

"He's taking Natsume-kun!" she whispered in panic as they watched the fire Alice being dragged from his hospital bed through an open door. One of Reo's lackeys pocketed a white cloth that had the chloroform used to knock him out on it.

"Yes, he is," Mikan agreed softly. "Now, I need you to do something and no matter what: obey me to the letter. Can you do this?"

"Why should I-?"

She snarled, a sound so unlike what Sumire had ever heard that she actually flinched back.

"Look! They're kidnapping him _right before our eyes_ and we are just two elementary students who can't stop them! What I'm trying to do, is figure out a way so that we can get the help to do what we can't. Now I will repeat myself one more time: _Can you. Do. This?_"

Very slowly, she nodded her head, unused to the commanding tone that had just been used and slightly afraid.

"Good. I need you to go to the teachers lounge as quickly as you can: run. Find Narumi or another teacher and tell them these words, 'Reo has kidnapped Natsume from the hospital, they are taking him as we speak. Mikan is following them. Send help now, or else the Academy's favorite pet will be lost.' Did you get that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now go, I'm going to follow them to figure out where they're going. I'll try to alert the Academy."

"But I-"

"_Go!_"

Mikan's mind was running a thousand miles an hour as she shoved Sumire up and towards the nearest exit, standing herself.

The other Alice only hesitated for a second before nodding and throwing a quick, "Good luck, No-star!" over her shoulder before running off.

XxXxX

Yuki bent down do look as a small footprint in the muddy grass. It was small, and slightly smeared, suggesting that the person had been both female and running and it was headed directly towards the hospital.

He followed, knowing that it belonged to a certain brunet he'd recently become friends with.

Now if only his tracking skills could tell him what was wrong...

He was about to go into the building when he was something out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Mikan, crouching against the side of the building, hidden from most eyes, with furrowed eyebrows and an intense look in her eyes. Her back was to the wall, arms outstretched to help her balance on the balls of her feet and her eyes were trained directly on what looked to be... the gates of the Academy.

"What in the hell...? Is she planning on making a break for it?" he wondered aloud.

Yuki began walking towards her carefully, getting the feeling that Mikan was once again in a skittish sort of mood and not wanting to startle her.

"Hey, Princess," he called cheerfully. "Watcha doin'?

He had to admit; even with all of his training and experience with some of the scariest glares in the whole world, Yuki _did in fact_ flinch when he caught the full force of her gaze.

"Yuki," she murmured.

"Tha's m'name, don't wear it out," he said with a smile slightly strained.

"Why are you here."

It wasn't even a question.

"Followin' m'best friend who suddenly ran off ina panic, tha's what."

"Natsume's been kidnapped."

Storm colored eyes widened.

"Say wha'? _Hyuuga_? By who? Tha' kid fights like a bloody animal, I find it hard t'believe tha' just anyone could'a gotten the kid."

"Reo and some lackeys. I just saw it with my own eyes... he was sick in the hospital when they got him."

"Damn," Yuki cursed softly. "Are you goin' t'follow him?"

She nodded, and began creeping nearer and nearer to where a large crowd was forming and a black car seemed to be approaching. He shadowed her easily and frowned when he noticed how silently she was moving and how there was no no longer any trail that he could follow. If he hadn't spotted her just now, he'd have had no clue where she'd gone to.

"He- He's in that car isn't he?"

Another nod, but no verbal response.

"Okay," he took a breath. "Then I'm coming with you."

"No."

He frowned and responded with a very slight growl, "Hell _yes_."

"Yuki, I said _no._ I can't have you coming with me. Not only will you get in trouble, but you don't know what you're dealing with."

"And you do?" he laughed.

"Completely."

"Mikan..."

"Sorry, Yuki," she whispered and he just now noticed that she'd lifted a hand to his neck where a certain pressure point was.

"No, no, Mikan. You can't-!"

He chocked slightly when she jammed her thumb over the pressure point and his vision began to get spotty and grow darker. He was caught by gentle hands and laid out on the grass. Cool hands patted his cheek fondly, and he could barely make out the words she whispered before passing out.

_ "You weren't there last time. I don't want you to die... I'm just trying to keep you safe."_

XxXxX

XxXxX

"Sensei!" The door to the teachers lounge slammed open and a pale looking girl sprinted in.

Narumi looked up in confusion and worry to see his own student standing in the doorway. She was looking around the room before her forest green eyes found his and she ran to him, grabbing at his white dress shirt and wrinkling it.

"Shouda-san, wha-?"

"They took Natsume-kun!" She interrupted, and all of the chatter once filling the room was silenced. "They- They, I mean... Reo and- and then that no-star-!"

"Shouda-san! Stop for a moment. _Breathe. _Tell me what happened?"

Her breath was shaky and it was obvious she'd run the whole way to them from who-knows-where to give them this information. The hands grasping his clothing were slightly sweating and trembling. He pried them off carefully, but did no protest when she held onto a hand for comfort.

"_'Reo has kidnapped Natsume from the hospital, they are taking him as we speak. Mikan is following them. Send help now, or else the Academy's favorite pet will be lost,'_" she said monotonously. "The no-star... Mikan told me to tell you that. She's following them right now and I think she said that she would alert you guys somehow. But- but he's gone, sensei! They took him right out of the hospital. We need to call the police or something!"

Narumi bit his lip, and shut his eyes tightly for a moment before nodding.

"I understand. Jinno," he said, grabbing his student by the shoulders and directing her to the severe looking science teacher, "take her back to her room. I will alert the principal right now."

The lighting Alice nodded slightly before leading the ten-year-old away, and suddenly the teachers lounge was alight with activity. Serena-sensei dialed the High school principals number and began speaking rapidly into the phone as Narumi shouted out orders and pulled up the tracking screen on a nearby computer.

He clicked on the name labeled Mikan Sakura, and saw it blinking without movement right where the location of a trashcan was. She'd discarded it.

"Dammit, Mikan..."

XxXxX

XxXxX

She planned her escape as she crouched in a bush right beside the gate. Yuki wouldn't wake up for a while.

The car was now nearing the exit which was beginning to open, and the students screamed and cheered at the singer and kidnapper. Her chance was about to come.

She cracked her neck as she waited and watched Reo's black vehicle drive through the gate. It began to close, and...

Mikan sprinted.

Several Academy officials shouted at her to stop, and tried to grab at her as she ran, but Mikan evaded them all. She rushed right past Hotaru, who looked at her with wide eyes, and opened her mouth to call after her. She jumped, diving and rolling to freedom just as the gate snapped shut and a reaching hand grazed her newly shortened hair. She couldn't help but smirk at the familiar adrenaline rush at escaping and it helped power her steps as she chased the car that held her- Mikan didn't know what to call their relationship anymore.

_'He's my reason,'_ she ended up deciding. They weren't friends yet, really, and they were no where near their past relations, but he did drive her and he was her incentive for doing most of what it was that she was doing. Reason made sense.

She stopped when she reached the alleyway that she vaguely remembered being where the car had stopped and some men were waiting to capture her. That was okay, she was counting on that.

Three of them ran at her at once and Mikan put on a face of fear and made a half-hearted attempt to run away as she was quickly captured and put under with the smell of chemicals and a damp white cloth that scratched her skin.

XxXxX

_'I smell the tide... and rust.'_

The air was damp, and she could feel hot breath whispering across her features.

Very slowly, she cracked her eyes open, and saw Natsume laying face to face with her. She sucked in her breath, and sat up, jerking at the rope tying her hands and feet together to test its strength. She frowned just a little, noting that it would be slightly difficult to get off, but... it was doable. She grit her teeth, and began to use a trick to escape that had been taught to her at the beginning of the war. She'd already used it once before, but it memory and mental preperation couldn't quite prepare her for the pain of it anyway.

XxXxX

Natsume awoke to the sound of grotesque popping and snapping noises, slightly wet and almost hollow sounding, and he blinked with eyes that were blurry and tired to see a silhouette beside him. As his sight became clearer and clearer, he rose his eyebrows in surprise to see Mikan Sakura beside him closely followed by disgust and horror at what she was doing. With a final snap, she began working once tightly constricting ropes from around her wrists. Her hands and wrists hung limp, and the girl blinked and looked over to him as he made a noise of disgust.

"What in the _hell_ are you doing, Polkadot?"

"Oh, you're awake!" Mikan noted with a slight smile. All of the fear from last time was gone. "And I was escaping, thank you very much. I got captured for you, y'know."

"Your- _cough_- your hands..."

"Hmm?" she looked down at the limp appendages, all of her joints in the area completely dislocated, as though just noticing them and then began to maneuver herself in an odd manner to pop her wrist followed by her other joints in her left hand back in place with - and Natsume would never figure out how she did this - her booted feet of all things. She flexed her hand a moment before using it to fix the other, and Natsume wondered how it was that she hadn't made a sound as she fixed herself. Popping joints out of place was immensely painful... popping them back in hurt just as badly.

She began untying her feet without a word, and set to working on his own bonds soon after.

"Here's the deal", she whispered as she untied his feet. "We're in a wear house by the coast. Reo Mouri has captured us, and he has about three men with him. They are on the other side of this crate, and-"

She stopped when a voice floated to them.

"I made contact with the organization."

The voice was hard and disapproving.

Mikan held a finger to her lips to be quite and stopped untying Natsume to loosely wrap herself up again and lay down.

"What did they say? And go check on the kids, yeah? If they're up give them some more medicine."

The man continued talking as he walked towards them, and the two children feigned sleep.

"They said Reo-san's actions lacked consideration and planning," he relayed and the voice got very close. "And therefor the others are very angry."

The voice began to trail away.

"They're still down."

"Good."

"That's what I told you, Reo-san," another man said. "We were only supposed to research the state of the school."

Reo's voice was lazy and slightly whiny as he retorted and, Mikan imagined, leaned back his head in annoyance.

"What do they mean, 'Lack of consideration?' It was a chance in a million! They'd have done the same thing if they'd been in the same situation." Mikan could hear the pout in his voice ask he asked, "What did Boss say?"

She ignored the conversation after that, and sat up again, shaking the ropes away. She already knew what they would say.

She made quick work with the rope now, and Natsume looked at the ground as she untied his wrists. His breathing was shallow, and Mikan could feel the heat of his fever on his skin.

"I'm going to get us out of here, okay?" she whispered as she pulled the rope away from his skin, and he turned to look at her.

He noted with a slight frown, that her hands were beginning to swell and bruise, and the movements were slightly stiff and undoubtedly painful.

"Your hands," he croaked.

Her eyes flickered briefly as she watched him sit up.

"it's nothing," she dismissed. "Now to important matters-"

Natsume stared at her in disbelief.

"-the plan is that once they are distracted, whether it's done by me or some outside influence, we'll make a break for it. You just need to run, and I'll hold them off and find you later. If you can get up high, like in some kind of tree that you can hide in, that would be preferable. I smell plants around us, faintly, so there should be something that you can climb. They always forget to look up after all... If you can't do that, hide in a bush. I'll find you. But get as far away as possible."

The Black cat had listened to her whole spiel due to curiosity, but he frowned at it.

"Now why would I listen to you? You'll probably mess up anyway, and get captured, idiot. I'm not coming back for you."

He expected anger, or hurt. She just shrugged, and suddenly he noticed that her hair was short and she looked older and more mature than before. Hn.

"Then that's my problem. The key is you: you need to get away."

He frowned. She was just an idiotic girl but, "Why in the hell would you just throw ourself away like that?"

Natsume would never forget the look in her eyes - calm, accepting, old - as she told him in a simple voice that he was more important.

Something in his chest broke and he couldn't even explain why.

XxXxX

XxXxX

Cold water dripped slowly over his cheek, and Yuki blinked slowly as he opened his eyes to a blue and white painted sky.

"So... why are you sleeping in the grass, nii-san?"

Yuki groaned at the childish voice that asked the question and sat up, scowling.

_'That little_ brat._ I can't believe she-'_

"Nii-san?"

"Just'a second, Somi-chan. Nii-san needs t'think."

His little sister nodded resolutely and sat back as Yuki rolled his neck and tried to sort his thoughts out. It appeared to have been several hours since Princess knocked him out. The fact that she did... pissed him off more that he could even begin to tell.

"Ugh m'neck hurts," he sighed.

"Somiko can heal nii-san!" his sister volunteered, brilliant blue eyes lighting up as she raised her hand excitedly.

Yuki laughed a little and agreed.

"Okay, Somi-chan. You c'n help."

His little sister of six poked her tongue out of her mouth slightly as she held her open hands in front of her just an inch away from Yuki's neck and concentrated. Soon, he began to feel warmth seep into his muscles and the black bruise that had formed where Princess had pressed ebbed and faded away.

"Thank ya," he murmured and his little sister just smiled.

"Does nii-san need to go do important things now?" She asked sweetly. She was quite understanding for a six-year-old.

He placed a hand on top of her hair and ruffled it affectionately.

"Yeah. Nii-san needs t'go save his friend n' a stupid person."

"Somi will save nii-san dinner!"

"Thanks, cutie," he said with a wide grin, and forced his muscles to cooperate as he stood up and brushed his uniform off.

"Will nii-san be back before Somi has to sleep?"

Yuki paused and thought, bending halfway over to stretch a bit.

"Hopefully. Oh, and... save enough fer two, yeah?"

His little sister blinked her large eyes, and smiled prettily up at him.

"_Oh_..." she giggled. "Okay!"

"Now wait just'a second, missy, _I_-"

"Bye-bye nii-san!" she chirped, pecking him on the cheek and running away before her older brother could get in another word.

Yuki grumbled in annoyance as he watched her little form dissapear.

'She's so... _precocious_," he muttered as he casually walked up to the front gate and casually jumped to grab one of the upper rungs and vault himself over the top.

No one stopped him of course. They knew he'd be back... Yuki would never leave his little sister behind.

"Okay then," he breathed looking around the ground. "Now where did they go...?"

He breathed deeply through is nose, and it twitched when heightened senses caught a familiar scent.

"Ah..." he sighed.

He found the trail.

And Yuki set off after them.

XxXxX

_The weaver stopped, staring at the loom and the threads before them. Choosing._

_There were so many colors..._

_Eventually, a string of gold was selected followed by red and a dark green._

_The weaver added it to the loom, and the tapestry grew larger and even more colorful... and complicated... than before._

XxXxX

**A/N:** Well hey there you guys! Guess who's done with school for now...? Moi. Yep. So this means I will be able to update next week, like, super easy :D

On another note... I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of reviews for the previous chapters. I mean I'm not going to threaten or anything, but how else am I supposed to know if this is something that you all really are enjoying enough to continue? Just a thought.

This chapter totaled to well over 7,300 words. Hopefully that will somewhat make up for the lack of update in so long. Sorry!

**Thanks for reading! Now _please_ review. Update next week.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated yet. I will try to soon, but my grandma has been in and out of the hospital twice in the same number of weeks so I've been taking care of her and am spending most of my time doing so. The next chapter is 5,000 words in already so once I can get an hour or so of free time it will be done but I'm afraid I just don't have that time yet. Thanks for everyone who still reads this and I'm sorry for the spotty updates: Real Life take precedence over FanFiction I'm afraid.

Late Happy 4th of July to you all and I hope you all are having a better summer than I am.

Later and better days everybody!

-IM


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